Hours
by Isabel Night
Summary: During the Bon Festival held two years after the death of Anubis. Sekhmet gets a big surprise.


**Disclaimer** - I will never own Sekhmet, Anubis, Dais, or any other characters mentioned in this story. They belong to their respective producers, artists, voice actors, etc. I am not making any money from this fan fiction, nor should I receive any money for such reasons.

_Hours  
__Isabel Night_

Two men wrestled with a thick log before throwing it onto the bonfire. The crackling sounds of the blaze echoed dimly through the summer light. Even with the humidity creating a blanket over the golden sky, the people invited inside the castle's courtyard saw the weather as a joyous omen. The greater heat was coming, signaling to the residents of the City of Desire, the capital city of the Nether Realm, that the great festival of O-Bon started tonight.

Downstairs was a flurry of activity. Dais and Cale were overseeing the preparations for Anubis's yearly visit. Yamanouchi Sekhmet, dressed in a navy blue and white dragon Yukata, had no desire to join them. Standing on the veranda connected to his second-floor room, Sekhmet looked down at the fire and shook his head.

Smelling the charred wood mixed with moist heat should have put him more at ease. Everyone else was celebrating; why shouldn't he go and do the same? Sekhmet knew the answer: if he did, it would only bring up memories of the war with Talpa. Not knowing which was worse, being taken for a fool or being saved by a suicidal idiot, Sekhmet had to be realistic about the situation. If it hadn't been for Anubis's brash decision, he would be dead right now. There wasn't any other way to, as the mortals say, "sugarcoat the truth."

_'This thinking is getting me nowhere!'_ He pursed his lips together in annoyance before shaking his head again. _'I can think these things all I want, but what's done is done.'_

Quietly, he turned away and headed back indoors. Walking towards the queen-sized futon, Sekhmet tried to curl up under the covers and relax. Despite his desire for sleep, the clank of heavy armor outside his room kept him awake. _'Cale or Dais,'_ he assumed.

After a few minutes of trying to ignore the sound, he gave up. With no hope for a peaceful evening, he debated on telling his fellow warlords to dismiss their armor. Having reached his decision, Sekhmet opened the door to find no one in the hall.

Stepping outside before shutting it behind him, Sekhmet looked around. Immediately, he noticed that the scent of burning wood seemed stronger, like the fire was right outside his room. Even if the space between the bonfire and the doorway wasn't far, the smell shouldn't be overpowering.

Something wasn't right. Sekhmet slid his hand towards the armor orb tucked inside his obi. Before he could summon his sub-armor, a hand grabbed Sekhmet by the shoulder and threw him against the wall. Caught off-guard and dealing superhuman strength, Sekhmet dropped his armor orb on the polished wood floors. "What the...?"

"Don't struggle!"

Sekhmet didn't listen. "I will struggle if I damn well please!"

With a sudden surge of resistance, Sekhmet fought whoever was pinning him against the wall. It failed the moment Sekhmet felt his captor's iron-like grip. All he could do was grit his teeth in pain.

"Let me go..." Sekhmet somehow demanded.

His sentence ended when Sekhmet's vision caught stray strands of red-brown hair brushing past the corner of his eye. Sekhmet recognized the person who held him. "Very funny, Anubis. If I stop fighting, will you let me go?"

"Yes."

Sekhmet soon felt his muscles relax as Anubis released him. Now free, Sekhmet brushed himself off before retrieving his armor which had landed to the right of the bedroom door. "What in the world are you doing here before the festivities?"

"I came early to visit the three of you."

Sekhmet didn't know if he should be happy or fuming. "So you lure me out of my room, pin me to the wall and stop me from calling my armor. That's not like you Anubis."

"I had no choice. I was trying to get your attention without alarming you."

Leaning against the wall, Sekhmet narrowed his eyes at what he considered a petty excuse for being attacked. "You did a poor job of it."

"You could do better?" Anubis rose one of his eyebrows.

"Please!" Sekhmet sneered in a sarcastic, oddly forceful tone-of-voice. "I'm not the fool who went and got himself killed."

To Anubis, Sekhmet's biting response meant that his ego wasn't bruised. "You're free. Doesn't that count?"

"My opinion is none of your business." Sekhmet snapped.

"Isn't it? Then why did you defend me when Gougasha tried to take my place?"

That question threw Sekhmet off-guard. "Who...who told you?"

"Dais did." Anubis drove the point home. "He told me that you three had set Gougasha up to be killed after he threatened to take my place. I pay more attention to my surroundings than you care to think."

"I never accused you of not being perceptive!"

"Sekhmet." Anubis shook his head. "I have learned many things after my death. The fact that you helped Dais and Cale defend me says you must care in some way."

"I'm not saying a word on that issue."

"Does that mean you care?"

"No."

"If I said I thought you were lying..."

"Then you'd be wrong." Sekhmet muttered under his breath.

"Would you care to repeat that?" Anubis smiled.

"Don't push your luck. It still wouldn't mean anything."

"Why not?"

"It wouldn't bring you back if Cale and Dais cared...would it? It wouldn't undo two years of pain you put them through. You were reckless with your life, their lives, and the lives of the Ronin Warriors!"

"So you don't feel sad?"

"Why should I be sad?" Sekhmet repeated, face almost flushed red in anger. "I've told you before, I'm not the one who casually throws his life away for some foolish code of honor."

"That code of honor kept me sane." Anubis pointed out

"Sacrificing yourself is not considered sane."

Now anger smoldered along the forehead and the outer creases of Sekhmet's eyes. Mixed with an unspoken pain, the harsh feeling blended with a hint of sadness that had lingered for two years. Studying Sekhmet's facial expressions, Anubis let out an almost inaudible sigh. "Fine. What do you want me to admit?"

"Fine?" Sekhmet gave into a built-up, adrenaline-laced outburst. "You think that one visit is going to make up for what they've suffered? First you were kidnapped and brainwashed by that cursed monk! You abandoned Cale and Dais like the bond you three shared meant nothing! Then you sided with the Ronin Warriors, refused to surrender, and ended up getting killed!"

Sekhmet paused, stopping to catch his breath. "You were a fool then, and you're still a fool now."

"Do you feel better now that you've told me all of this?" Anubis's response made it clear that he wasn't surprised by Sekhmet's rant.

Sekhmet didn't know if Anubis was showing concern or planning to blackmail him. "What? You mean you lured me into this conversation just to hear me rage? I should -

"Sekhmet!" A voice from downstairs called. "Who are you yelling at? We're starting to set up lanterns along the castle entrance! You should be helping us!"

"I'm busy at the moment, Dais!" Sekhmet yelled back. "I'm dealing with a certain someone!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean -"

Cut off by a tap on his shoulder, Anubis put a finger to his closed lips. Sekhmet recognized the gesture: Anubis was asking him to keep quiet before the formal visit. Scowling, he reluctantly obeyed.

It would be a few minutes later before Sekhmet watched Anubis walk downstairs. Shaking his head at the moment footsteps mingled with shouts of joy, Sekhmet brushed a trembling hand through his green hair. It was better that Anubis never knew how much he was missed.

_THE END_

**End** **Notes** - I wish to thank all my Beta Readers for helping me look over this story. If it weren't for them, this story would have never been posted.


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